The BEST Salsa Recipe!

This Restaurant-Style Salsa recipe only takes about 10 minutes to make, it’s easy to customize (to make it extra spicy, smoky or tangy if you’d like), and it’s SO irresistibly delicious.

Happy Dos De Mayo!

Which also means…happy birthday to me!

My birthday feels a little extra-special this year because it also happens to mark exactly one more month until my wedding. (Can’t wait!) But every year, my birthday also happens to conveniently fall on the week of Cinco De Mayo, which I must say I couldn’t have planned better myself. Mexican food on my birthday for life! (Literally!)

Last year for my birthday, I had all of my friends over for an epic chips-and-salsa-a-thon, which was downright dreamy. Instead of cooking, Barclay and I drove around town all afternoon and picked up a dozen or so different salsas from our favorite Mexican restaurants. And then we whipped up an enormous batch of my classic margaritas, opened up a zillion bags of chips, and had all of our friends over for the most delicious taste test ever. Totally my kind of birthday.

This year’s plans are TBD, thanks to my sweet fiancé who knows how much I love a good surprise. But I did go ahead and whip up a batch of this salsa recipe to have on hand for my bday and Cinco De Mayo this week, which I’ve already been putting to good use. And hey — since I don’t eat many sweets or crave a traditional birthday cake anymore — this seemed like my kind of birthday treat recipe to share on the blog today. ?

Restaurant-Style Salsa Recipe | 1-Minute Video

Alright, so about this salsa recipe!

It’s actually one that I shared on the blog a few years ago. But — like many of the recipes around here lately while I’ve been busy with wedding planning — it’s one that I recently re-photographed and updated to share with those of you who might have missed it the first time around, because I’m convinced that everyone needs this recipe in their lives.

Seriously, it’s been my go-to homemade salsa recipe for years. And for someone who makes homemade salsa nearly once a week, that’s sayin’ something.

But the best part? It’s incredibly quick and easy to make! Also, since it uses canned fire-roasted tomatoes (gotta use the fire-roasted), it’s a really accessible recipe to make year-round, even beyond your regional tomato season.

To make it, simply toss all of your ingredients together in a food processor or blender…

…puree until the salsa reaches your desired texture…

…then taste and season as needed.

If you’d like a smokier salsa, I strongly recommend adding in a chipotle pepper or two in adobo sauce. If you’d like a spicier salsa, you can add in an extra jalapeño (or just add in the seeds from the original one). If you’d like a tangier salsa, you can’t go wrong with extra lime juice in my opinion. And as always, don’t be afraid to add in extra salt to kick up the flavor if needed!

Then, once your salsa is all seasoned and ready to go, partay like it’s yo birthday and DIVE IN.

Seriously, I’ve made this recipe probably hundreds of times, and still never grow tired of it. So if you need some chips and salsa in your life this week — as I believe everyone always does — I can’t recommend it enough.

Ok, so I do not lie when I say you are my favorite food blog. Time and time again, I come for your recipes and stories, and you do not disappoint…consistently. That says a lot.
I enjoy reading the text, your photography is gorgeous, and you do a beautiful job with the graphics, too. The new videos are also so helpful and so well done.
I have worked as a commercial photographer and prop and food stylist, as well as dabble dangerously in graphic design hee hee.
I mostly do interior design these days, and have wanted to start a blog.
Reading your blog is fun, and I often say to myself: “That Ali seems really cool, I’d love to meet her one day.”
And today I find out we share the same birthday…shut the front door!!
Life can be so funny sometimes.
I bid you an amazing birthday, fellow May 2nd-er! And perhaps the impending nuptials in your future signal a similar fate for me soon, too.
Thanks for all you do [beautifully] : ) Keep working your magic!
Happy Happy Birthday!!

This is a good basic salsa recipe upon which to build. Jalapeños are notoriously unpredictable in their level of heat. For a milder and more consistently spiced chilies, use Serranos. All chilies have extra heat in the membranes and seeds. Roasting/charring diminishes the heat a little.

If you like fire, use a red jalapeño. Want more? Add a habanero to that. After that move up to a ghost (bhut jolokia or red naga) and really spice up your life.

There are several chilies that give salsa its characteristic flavor. They being either mild poblanos, Anaheims, or the spicier, jalapeños or Serranos but NOT a bell pepper. The base must be that of a chili pepper.

For an authentic, smoky taste, char some or all of the vegetables, except the cilantro, preferably over a gas flame, under a hot broiler or in a very hot cast iron skillet. Then follow the recipe above. Remember to save and add back in all liquid or charred bits.

One word of caution, do not process the cilantro. Coarse chop it by hand then mix it in. If you are making more than you plan on using that day, add it into or garnish what is in the serving bow only. Stirred in and left, it gets very bitter overnight and ruins the salsa. Around here, overnight is a rarity.

Finished salsa, on its own, should be a little on the salty side to make the flavors really pop. This will taste less so after adding to food.

Yes, I have lots of Mexican friends who constantly teach me their methods. Salsas are personal. Make one your own. :-)~

Love your post ? Happy Birthday! We actually have something in common. My birthday is on Cinco de Mayo. As a kid my mom would throw a fiesta every year. Homemade chile verde was my absolute fave! I make restaurant style salsa too sometimes. Especially when tomatoes aren’t in season. It’s so simple and tasty. Love the idea of using fire roasted tomatoes.

Quick question, and maybe I’m reading too much into it because I’m a grammar nerd, but you say to add “more” lime juice if you’d like it tangier. However, I don’t see in the ingredients where it calls for lime juice to be added in the first place. Was it left out of the ingredients? Thanks!

I made half a batch today to use in the 2-ingredient slow cooker chicken recipe tomorrow. What a mistake! It will be hard to save enough for the recipe… Maybe I should make a fresh batch tomorrow?

Seriously, though, we love to make pico de gallo in the summer when the ingredients are fresh, but end up using store bought salsa the rest of the year. Not anymore! This is my new go-to recipe for year round deliciousness. The recipe is forgiving and flexible. and I love that I don’t need to add sugar. Thank you!

This is our new ‘go-to’ salsa recipe. We have been searching and have come up wanting more with the store brands we’ve tried. Nothing has quite the right balance and blend of flavors. It’s so fast and easy to bring together. I’ve already been asked by several people to share the recipe. Thank you!!

I love spicy food! I really like your idea of including Jalapenos to your salsa recipe, it will make it so yummy and spicy! I just can’t wait to try it in the evening! Will tell you how it goes when I make it.

I’m looking forward to trying this and like everyone else has said, I’ve always loved all your recipes. I’ve never tried one that I didn’t like. One question I do have is in how long it stays good. Assuming we didn’t eat it all the first time, why only refrigerate for 3 days? Can you can this (like regular heat canning methods) and the flavor is still preserved reasonably close to the original flavor? Just curious.